1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to containers and, more particularly, to a method for packaging a liquid filled container with a capsule configured to deliver a payload therefrom.
2. Discussion
In recent years, various devices have been developed for delivering a payload such as a prize from a container when the container is opened. For example, reference may be made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,911,320, 5,056,659, 5,099,232, and 5,283,567 issued to Howes as well as to U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,158 to Plester for a general description of such devices. The disclosures of the above-referenced patents are incorporated herein by reference. Also incorporated by reference is U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/711,116, entitled "Device For Containing And Delivering A Payload From A Container", filed Sep. 9, 1996. In the devices described in the above-referenced patents and applications, the payload is generally contained within a sealed capsule, tube, or vial submerged in the liquid filled container. The sealed capsule is delivered through an orifice in the container when the container is opened. In general, the buoyancy of the sealed capsule is used to urge the capsule upward through the orifice.
The above-described payload delivery systems are often used within pressurized containers such as carbonated beverage cans. Conventional payload delivery capsules maintain the capsule cavity completely sealed from the beverage and gases therein. For example, the Plester patent teaches trapping air within the capsule to provide the necessary buoyancy. Applicants have found that forming the payload capsule of certain liquid tight materials that are permeable to the pressurized carbon dioxide gas provide benefits not previously recognized in the art.
Conventional devices fail to recognize or take advantage of the potential benefits of allowing a gaseous exchange between the capsule cavity and the liquid as well as the heightened pressure within the cavity after the container is opened. Conventional devices also fail to recognize the ability to manage the rate of gaseous exchange to maximize these benefits through the selection of materials for the capsule. The benefits alluded to above include payload presentation opportunities available through use of the pressurized gas within the capsule cavity, devices for managing the dissipation of the pressure when the capsule is opened to make the opening event more enjoyable, and transfer of gaseous material from the capsule to the liquid. Attendant to these benefits is the need to manage the pressure in the cavity in order to minimize the possibility of the capsule cap "missiling" during opening.